Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at 1,508 women who had breast cancer. These women were asked about their meat intake, particularly their consumption of grilled, barbecued, and smoked meat.

After five years, these women were asked the same questions. After an average duration of 17.6 years of follow-up, 597 deaths, of which 237 were breast cancer related, were identified.

The main finding found that compared with low meat intake, a high consumption of grilled/barbecued and smoked meat before a breast cancer diagnosis was linked with a 23% increased mortality risk.